


Related

by ArasMRinga



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abuse, Original Character-centric, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 21:48:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19798444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArasMRinga/pseuds/ArasMRinga
Summary: This is a story where Isaac finds someone who understands him and the struggle against the worst monsters out there.In the Teen Wolf storyline, it takes place after season 2 and ignores most everything after.





	1. Ghost of Blood

**Author's Note:**

> This is an unfinished work. It's been sitting in my files forever and I figured I might as well post what I have. If there is interest in the finished product I'll get back into writing the rest but for now, enjoy what I got.

This was his kingdom. These halls trembled under his feet, and nothing could touch him. Now that he was a werewolf everything else felt small. Small enough to be under his thumb, he could control it all if he wished. 

At least that’s how it felt to Isaac after he was first turned. All the pain and weakness had disappeared and replaced by the power of a wolf. He could grow his claws and rip through metal, or his fangs could pierce his smile, able to separate the flesh from bone and courage from heroes. Now, when he looked in the mirror he saw no bruises, not a single impurity. Only the confident yellow glow of his eyes came back at him when he powered his inner wolf. 

Even though Isaac had been a werewolf for a while now he had been quite busy. Derek’s pack, along with Scott, Stiles and Lydia had the formidable task of taking down Jackson and the masters who controlled him to kill. Once all was said and down, with Gerard poisoned on his own cure and Jackson a proper werewolf, their lives were no longer in peril. 

Going back to school, the place where he’d once felt so ignored and now felt so empowered was strange for Isaac. He took it in stride however, the lot of them returning to the halls as though nothing has happened. It all bored him though, get his locker and class schedule. Pretending as he cared about any of it.   
He was also fighting against his senses. All through his training, he’d been in solitude with his pack and every time he was surrounded by a crowd it was suffocating. All of the sweat filled with hormones, the mindless and selfish chatter, the clicking of pens and scrape of shoes. With focus, he can tune it out and even pinpoint specific factors, but at times that headache rivals the drone.

Slam! Another locker hits into place and hurts his over-sensitive ears, but he doesn’t even flinch anymore. 

“Why do I have to be here again?” Scott looks back at him when he complains. Tucking his books into his pack. 

“Because you missed a lot of school last year and you need to make it up.” 

“No, that’s why you are here Scott.” Isaac watches as Scott lets the shame seep onto his face. Scott was failing and needed to get better to make something of himself and make his mother proud. Isaac didn’t have that problem. The only reason he slaved over his studies was to please his father. It beat at him when he couldn’t get it right or focus properly, but continued in fear of his punishment. That threat was now buried with his father. Even if his father was still around Isaac was a wolf now. He wasn’t going to let anyone push him to do what they wanted.

“Come on Isaac. Think about your future. You can’t bunk with Derek forever. Eventually, you’re going to have to be your own person.” Isaac trusted Scott and valued his opinion. He was right, after all, he had a life to remake.

“Derek’s my alpha, Scott. What am I supposed to do? Runoff like Boyd and Erica? Be an omega?” Isaac played it off like he was talking smack about Scott’s suggestion when really he was too worried about that possibility. That if he left Derek he’d be weak again, or worse Derek would grow tired of having him in his pack and kick him out. Scott caught a hint of Isaac’s worry and patted him on the shoulder.

“Just work at your classes. Look at all your options and go from there. I can’t speak for Derek but you’re alright.” Scott left with that, going to meet up with Stiles or something, leaving Isaac to feel apprehensive.

He went to class and suffered through. Choosing to listen to the teacher's lecture as a way of drowning the rest of the noise out. He was so into it that when the bell went he nearly rocketed out of his seat. With a huff, he collected his books and exited the class. From across the hallway, he spotted Scott and Stiles together, as always. 

Moving to the side he spoke as if Scott was beside him. “Scott.” He waited a moment before adding, “Can you hear me?” Through the buzz, he focussed on any response coming from him.

“Yeah, Isaac I can.”

“What? Isaac’s talking to you?” Stiles’ curious and very paranoid mind becoming suspicious.

“Yeah” Scott answered Stiles.

“How do you do it?” Isaac asked partially annoyed.

“What?”

“What? What’s he saying?” Stiles kept prodding Scott to fill him in.

“How do you handle all the noise?” Even as the conversation goes on Isaac has to fight through the clicking of phones, hollers of friends and the endless roaring parade of the hallway.

“I focus on what I want to hear and block everything else out.” Just as Isaac catches Scott say that a particularly squeaky locker is closed and it becomes too much. In frustration, he marches over to Scott and Stiles.

“How though?” He asks with that frustration, his hurting nose and ears adding every second to his desire to just leave.

“Wait, you don’t know how to control your senses?” Stiles sounds so dumbfounded as if he understands what it’s like to deal with these senses.

“No. I know how, just... It’s-it’s not easy, especially here.” Just then another rank teenager who couldn’t be bothered to shower walked by and caused Isaac to almost snarl in disgust.

“Isaac it’s really like a switch. You can just turn it off and with focus turn parts on at will-” before Scott can finish Isaac cuts him off.

“Derek said to not cut off your senses. It leaves you vulnerable.”

“Yeah maybe, but if you’re too overwhelmed by everything then it won’t matter.” Stiles puts in with his tone for ‘duh’. Before he can bring it out of him to snap back Scott is talking the same point.

“He’s right Isaac. If you’re too distracted by your surroundings it’s worse than if you were focused with average senses.” Scott sounds like a teacher but one Isaac can’t listen to. Derek told him to keep his Wolf senses heightened, but there’s no denying that Scott makes a fair point. 

“Yeah well...”

“Isaac if you need help training this, we’ll help.” 

“Yeah.” He didn’t care to stick around because once again he was reminded about a dilemma he’d been facing. Derek is his alpha and his leader and he helped him become this werewolf, but it’s Scott that he trusts and seems to care about him. Who does he truly follow? Does it matter? If it does, what happens now that Boyd and Erica are gone and he’s left with the unformidable Hales? 

He went to his next class feeling once again that he was alone. Stiles obviously didn’t like him and though that didn’t bother Isaac, he knew what Stilinski thought mattered to Scott. A couple of months ago he didn’t care what either of them thought but now that his pack mates had run away. It all left him feeling out of place and quite worthless. His power came from his pack, and with it in jeopardy, Isaac was finding doubt around every corner.

“I expect all of you to come prepared tomorrow.” The teacher said as the class began filing out for lunch. Isaac joined them, and went his way to have lunch and contemplated eating with the others. He had a thought that perhaps all of this anguish was appearing because he was losing hold of his pack. Thinking back he remembered the night they had to go to a rave party. It had been far louder and stinkier there than at school, but he’d had Erica and Scott there. They’d had a purpose and plan, and he’d been focussed. While he worried about how he was feeling he was passed by a stranger in black.

As if punched by an iron fist the smell of blood hits his nose. Isaac looks around in disbelief because he shouldn’t be smelling that much blood in the cafeteria. No one’s in a panic or acting out of the ordinary and by the time he thinks to scan person by person the smell has weakened. Isaac rushes to find and tell Scott.

“Scott. Something’s wrong.” 

Stiles butts in before Scott can. “What is this time Isaac? Have another threat to send?”

Ignoring Stiles’ sarcasm and attitude Isaac continues, “someone’s bleeding.”

“Um, Isaac.” Scott looks to Stiles then back at him slightly embarrassed. “It's just period blood you’re smelling.”

“No, I lived with Erica. I know the difference.”

“What’s the problem? Maybe someone just cut themselves and is already heading to the office to get it checked.” Stiles shows no concern for the issue, already had his fill of threat-induced anxiety.

“Did you see who it was coming from?” Scott asks his usual concern for others well being giving Isaac the benefit of the doubt.

“No.”

“Ah, well that is sure helpful. Your wolf senses can tell you someone’s bleeding, just not who it is, or if it’s important.” Stiles sass level wasn’t helping Isaac’s mood, but when did that ever stop him. Nothing stopped Stiles from stating what he thought.

“Whatever.” Isaac dropped the subject and went on with lunch putting the incident out of his mind. 

By the final class of the day, Isaac was fully and utterly done with it all. His wolf side just wanted to run or scratch or do something other than listen to the endless nonsense and boredom school brought. At least he could look forward to lacrosse practice afterwards. It was when he sat in his final class of the day that it happened. That stranger who’d passed him at lunch sat two rows back from him. The smell of blood was just as choking now, if not even more so. He looked back to track it to the source. A girl in a thick black hoodie sat arms crossed on her desk. Face hidden in a mess of curls going down to her shoulders. She looked straight forward with no expression. Isaac continued to stare at her as the teacher began roll call. 

“Isaac Lahey!” Isaac snapped back at his name.

“Here,” he replied. Their teacher continued down the list and Isaac focussed on listening. With each name that came, he waited for any sign that it was hers. When at last he heard it.

“Elizabeth Tahmoor!”

With a voice, so meek it was almost inaudible she replied, “present.” 

The class went on as all other classes did, but Isaac wasn’t focussed on it. He kept focussed on the girl who smelt of the bitter iron of blood. Now that he was close and aware he also noticed the scent that comes from pain. The bodies response to discomfort and pain is a bite to werewolf senses when it fills one’s nose. Elizabeth. Isaac had never heard of her, he didn’t know if she was a new student or an old one. Had he never been in a class with her, or had he not been paying attention? What puzzled Isaac was how still she was. Other students fiddled with their clothes or their things, but Elizabeth kept completely still. If anyone else was paying attention they might have thought she had been turned to stone in her seat. It was only because of the thump of her pulse and the smell coming off her that Isaac was positive she was still awake. He had even thought she’d be slow with how little she moved but was proven quite wrong. In the same moment, the bell rang she had her things in hand and was headed out of the door. Without thought, Isaac followed her. She didn’t stop at a locker or to talk to friends, she went immediately through the exit and was gone. Once Isaac was outside he saw her climb on her bike and ride away, the stinging scent of pain streaked behind her. 

Getting back to the loft Isaac is still thinking about Elizabeth. Why did she smell like that? He had put it aside while at practice, but now he wanted some answers. The squeaking of the metal sliding door pulled Isaac away from his thoughts for a moment. When he stepped inside the lights were shut off. Derek should be home, perhaps it was him being sinister, Isaac thought. When out of the darkness Peter pounced on him, claws around his throat. 

Instantly, Isaac felt his wolf surface trying to fight back, but from his place on the ground he could only stare up at Peter’s ice blue eyes.

“You’re dead,” Peter whispered. Before Isaac could even claw back at him Peter has standing erect over him.

“What the hell!” Isaac snapped at Peter, scrambling to his feet.

“Scott called,” from the staircase Derek’s voice Isaac’s attention. “said you were having trouble controlling your wolf senses.” 

“Oh, so Peter was just giving me a demonstration on how not to gag at the smell of trash.” Isaac dusted himself off and glared at Peter. Peter couldn’t care about Isaac’s playground insult.

“I thought you had it under control,” Derek said sternly.

“I do.”

“Obviously you don’t. Otherwise, you’d have heard Peter coming.” Derek was obviously cross and Isaac didn’t appreciate the tone.

“How were you able to handle it before?”

Isaac didn’t answer. When the silence stretched out Derek grew impatient.

“ISAAC” Derek’s alpha screaming at Isaac made him recoil.

“I don’t know Derek. When we started it was easy to focus and think around all the noise and scents, but now…” 

Derek just nodded his head.

“It’s the others. All of us were supporting each other, now that they’re gone you have to rely fully on your own focus.”

“Scott never had to deal with that.” Isaac put in.

“That’s because Scott learned to control everything at the beginning. Like I thought you had done.”

There it was. Derek had thought Isaac had it all together. Was comparing Isaac to the others, to Scott even Erica and Boyd. Derek watched Isaac process it all.  
Derek knew Isaac had an anchor, unlike the others. Which is why it surprises him that it’s Isaac having difficulty with this. Out of all of his betas, Isaac had been able to control himself on the full moon, what changed.

“I’ll work on it.”

“Yes, you will. With me.” Isaac knew then that he wouldn’t be having a pleasant evening.

He woke up the next morning feeling like he’d stuck his claws into his ears. He might’ve just stayed in bed if it weren’t for the idea of more training with Derek. Biking to school Isaac reflected on the previous evening. They’d spent hours on perfecting his focus and honing his mind. Now he could pick up a pin drop without the lawnmower ripping his ears apart. His wolf was settled and he was stirred. He knew Derek felt the loss of Erica and Boyd quite harshly. He had to deal with the distress while keeping a wary eye on Peter. The two of them acted as gasoline and lighter, more dangerous together than apart. It was only by walking into school did he remember something. He’d been so occupied with the Hale training that he’d forgotten about a certain mystery. His timing wasn’t perfect since the bell forced him to his first class, but once he got the chance he would track her down.

At break, he sniffed the air. Although he was confused about what he was hoping for. If he smelled nothing on the air he couldn’t find her, but if he smelled the tang of blood once again it could be ‘sinister’.

He didn’t smell fresh blood like yesterday. He did, however, smell the same scent of sour pain. Most teenagers smelt bad, their bodies letting off odours with hormones and other chemical cocktails. The smell of pain contrasted that like finding a rotten cherry in a bowl of popcorn. Isaac spotted his dark-clad mystery against a hidden set of lockers. Her back against the forsaken wall and hood drawn out her head. The ends of her curls escaped around the edges and the outline of her nose peaked out of the shadows. The closer he got the stronger the smell became.

“Hey.” Isaac leaned against the locker beside her. She flinched away from him.

“Your name’s Elizabeth right?” Isaac flashed her a grin as he saw her glance his way.

“Yeah,” she said it like it was an insult.

“Know if we have English homework? I wasn’t paying attention.” Isaac inquired as an icebreaker.

“No, we didn’t get homework yesterday.” Elizabeth is resting on the balls of her feet, ready to run. 

“Ah cool. You doing anything at lunch?” Her reaction to the question made Isaac take pause. There was a fear, like someone stranded on the beach as the tide came in.

“Why?” She even took a step back this time. Isaac stayed where he was, pretending like it was nothing.

“Oh, I just wanted to check.” Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her staring up at him. “See ya at lunch.” He bid farewell and strolled away. As he left he couldn’t tell what that extra bitter smell was, pain or fear.

The day was going by much smoother, and even if he didn’t want to admit it, Derek’s training had helped. They’d practised ignoring unwanted sounds and smells in order to keep sharp. He was now sharp enough any little thing out of place was like a paper cut. A student came late, he could hear every step of their mad dash to the classroom. One clock out of sync with the rest offset the entire rhythm. Things that had just blended in with the noise yesterday now fit in neat spaces off useless information. One piece of information was imperative to the question of Elizabeth Tahmoor however, she walked with a limp. It was hardly noticeable because it wasn’t a limp from the legs. He had also pinpointed where the smell was leaking from. That hoodie wasn’t just to hide her eyes.

“What are you hiding?” Isaac asked the back of that hoodie when he watched her from the perimeter of the cafeteria. 

She sat against the opposite wall, nearly as still as she’d been yesterday. Isaac decided she’d had enough time to settle and walked towards her.

“Hello again.” He greeted sitting down across from her and setting his lunch down.

She didn’t say anything just looked at him puzzled. 

“We spoke earlier, I’m-” 

“Isaac Lahey.” She cut him off and looked away.

“Yeah.” He laughed at himself, shocked that she might have known him before that point.

“Why are you here?” Isaac saw how keen she was to avoid his eyes, but not look so far to the side as to not see him. 

“I have to eat lunch somewhere.” He keeps his answers casual, his tone light and even fun. Elizabeth does not reflect his attitude and stays tense and stone still and controlled.

“But why with me? Why are you even talking to me?” Isaac didn’t answer right away. What did he say to that? He couldn’t even remember if he’d ever seen her before yesterday. All he knew was that the ever presence gloom of blood troubled him. 

“I get it. You’ve been put up to this… Look just tell your buddies whatever you want. I don’t care.” Elizabeth sunk further into her hoodie as if trying to disappear within it. 

“No. Elizabeth, I choose to be here. Cause ya see I have something I need to ask you.”

“I already told you, there is no English homework yet.”

“Not that.”

“Whatever it is,” she finally looked back at him. Her eyes like the ocean floor, you saw all the way to the bottom and drowned. Isaac was sure now, no more suspicion.

“Are you doing anything after school?” he asked leaning in on his elbows.

“What?” Elizabeth equally drew her head back from Isaac’s.

“I need to, I want to ask you something. But it’s kind of private, could you meet me after school?” She took a moment, pondering and calculating. She was hesitant, but after weighing it out in her head she replied.

“I have to get home.” 

“Don’t worry about that, I have a friend who can give you a ride.”

“Then I guess, but...”

“Great. I’ll see you then.” Isaac left her but never stopped listening to her heartbeat which had spend up once he arrived and kept elevating throughout the conversation. He moved over to where Stiles and Scott sat. Sitting down he was aware of her eyes on him. 

“You guys know an Elizabeth Tahmoor?” The inseparable duo looked at him.

“The girl you were sitting with?” Scott asked peering over his shoulder at where Isaac had just come from.

“Yeah, we were in the same class from grade 2 all the way up to 5. I have Chem with her.” Stiles’ mind always remembering details and facts. “Weird girl. She used to be really friendly and then we get to high school and all of a sudden doesn’t talk to anybody." 

“Yeah, and I know why,” Isaac says while keeping an eye on the person in question. He looks at his friends faces drawing a dotted line for them.

“That smell I picked up yesterday, it was her. And you see the way she holds herself.” he tips his chin in her direction. “Take a good long look. Remind you of anyone Scott?”

Elizabeth hadn’t really changed, although once again looked about ready to bolt out of her seat at any given notice.

“Not really,” Scott said shrugging his shoulders. 

“Oh come on, can't you see it?” Isaac scoffed.

“It’s just a shy girl we share classes with.”

“That’s just what she wants you to think, so you don’t pay attention.” Isaac pressed and Stiles finally got it.

“A change in behaviour, solitude, lack of interaction, plus the wardrobe choices and the smell you’re getting-She’s being abused.” Having Stiles confirm it made Isaac all that more determined. He would not stand by and let another person suffer through that, not when he could save them. Elizabeth would not be left to drown. 

“Stiles I need to ask a favour. Could you call your dad and ask if he could look into this.” 

“Yeah, although it’s hard to prove abuse unless there’s evidence.”

“I’m working on that. And Scott I’ll need your help as well.”

“Anything.”

“Meet me in the parking lot after school.”

Alright now he had his backup, all that was left was getting Elizabeth to confide in him what he never confided to anyone.


	2. Stroking the Fire

During English, Isaac thought about what he was going to say. Nothing felt right, nothing sounded convincing. It also was digging open wounds he’d been trying to heal. He was beginning to recognize them as the scars they were, but even if it pained him he would not let someone else be torn apart. 

Stilinski was going to talk to his father, all he had to do was measure the situation. When the bell went Isaac got up, going immediately to the back row. Elizabeth stood there staring at the floor. She saw him coming and went to leave. He didn’t try to stop her, he did follow her, however. To his surprise, he followed her all the way to the locker room hall. She stopped right outside the door.

“What is it? You and I both know you have lacrosse practice in a couple of minutes.” Her words rushed and low, hiding her panic as best she could. 

It was because of the way her eyes kept moving and her chin pointing down. It was the way her hands clasped together and her shoulders sagged. The smell of her fear made him remember the darkness, and his heart squeezed shut on him.

“You seem to know a lot about me.” Then when her eyes looked up at him in near terror he knew what he needed to say. “But do you know, that at one time I’d come to school and blame lacrosse on my bruises. Or that I can’t be in a closed space because my father would- would lock me in the freezer.” The memories grabbed at Isaac’s throat but he muscled through.

“He was unpredictable. I couldn’t tell when something angered him until it was too late. I couldn’t help some things but it was my fault. It wasn’t until he was murdered did the police even find out.” While he recalled the story both of their eyes started to well with tears. Small beads rolled down her cheeks and the fear had disappeared.

“Why are you telling me this?” She choked.

“Because if I could get someone out of that place. I don’t want anyone to be as alone as I was.” Once again Isaac looked straight into her eyes as he said it. 

The silence was choking them, but ever so slowly Elizabeth rolled up her left sleeve. What Isaac saw made his stomach twist. Her wrist was rubbed raw to the point of the skin being fire red. At the same time, the entire circumference had black and blue bruises that marvelled those of punches.

“I-uh. I have to stay in bed. But my mom can’t check in on me all the time. So, there’s a handcuff I can put on to prove I can listen.” Isaac saw a dam break inside of her eyes. She started shaking, a physical expression of the toll put on her soul. 

“I have to listen. I have to. I have to.” She repeated it again and again. Tears finally coming full force. Her method of dealing with it all not holding up now that Isaac was there. She’d never spoken it aloud before, and it hurt. Hurt like the burn of a thousand suns and the force of hundreds of foot steps.

“They can’t take it, having two of us. We’re too much. She can’t wash the dishes if she’s worked all day for two. She can’t, she can’t..” Elizabeth is citing an anthem of excuses and ridiculous reasonings. 

“Hold on, hold on. Two of you?” Isaac could keep up with her ranting, but he didn’t understand.

“My sister, Victoria.” That’s what was missing. There had to be something that had been keeping her together. It could’ve been: fear, or a false sense of requirement, or even a confused manipulation of love. A little sister was a different story because Elizabeth wasn’t alone. She was a guardian. 

Isaac pulled out his phone and texted Scott and Stiles. *Confirmed. Little sister.*

“Elizabeth, how old is Victoria?” 

After taking a couple of longer breaths she answered, “seven.”

*Seven.* He pressed send and tucked away his phone.

“Alright. This ends now. We are going to get you and your sister out of there. Scott’s waiting for us and we’re going to go get Victoria.”

“Why?” Elizabeth was quite frazzled. Up until that point, the world didn’t notice her. When like a strike of lightning Isaac Lahey, lacrosse team member, shows up to give a rats ass.

“Elizabeth,” she cut him off again.

“You don’t even know me.”

“I know enough to make me want to help. And I’m going to, but you need to trust me.”

At that point, Elizabeth couldn’t go lower. Even if Isaac was bluffing and was just playing her, she had nothing else to give. He’d already done more than anybody else by just taking notice. There was a small part of her that was worried, but then she looked up into those eyes and saw the shine there. If someone who had been hurt like her could have that kind of shine, then she wanted it too.

“Who else can I trust?” Isaac heard her voice crack, and it split something in his heart. He couldn’t erase the sight of the bruise from his mind. He was ready to leave it there, but he had one more question.

“Your parents…” he trailed off, he didn’t know how to phrase it.

“They threatened Victoria, they can rot in hell.” Elizabeth’s insight surprised him. 

“Alright.” He nodded his head and turned to the exit. 

“What about your practice?” She asked still beside the door.

“It’s Tuesday.” Elizabeth’s eyebrows rose and she crept behind him. 

Outside in the parking lot, they met Scott. Originally Isaac had thought he’d send Elizabeth with him, but now they had to figure out how to get Victoria.

“I can drive a bike.” Elizabeth put in once Isaac brought up the problem.

“That’s perfect. You can go pick up your sister and meet us.” Scott was willing to lend his bike in this situation.

“Meet you where?” Isaac had thought about that. He’d sensed from the overwhelming fear Elizabeth had displayed when he’d first approached her, that he figured being alone with two or more boys won’t be ideal. They’d thought of an alternative.

“The hospital. My mom’s on shift and I need to bring her supper.” Scott added to the location reasoning to distract from the fact that they were all aware of fresh blood in the air. 

“Alright. I’ll see you.”

Elizabeth sat on the bike and took it away leaving Isaac to wonder at the women he’d just brought into their lives. Sometimes being a werewolf couldn’t be defined by good or bad. They were helping her, but at what cost? Did this decrease or increase her struggle? Isaac just didn’t know, yet.

They got to the hospital and saw it in turmoil. The waiting room was flowing with patients. Isaac didn’t like being here, where everything smelled of alcohol and illness. It had only taken them a bit longer to get there on foot compared to if they had Scott’s bike. They were even there before Elizabeth. While they waited for her they called Stiles.

“Hey, Stiles. What’s happening for you?”

“My dad’s working on it. He said that having the children with an alibi when it goes down is best. Make sure they’re both there with you.”

“Okay Stiles, we will.” 

“Let’s just hope that for once this one isn’t supernatural or planning a murder.”

They hung up the phone and waited, either for Melissa or Elizabeth. Elizabeth showed up first. Walking through the entrance slowly with a little girl holding her hand. Being that the room was quite full they met and stood to the side. Scott saw how the little girl who must be Victoria snuggled into Elizabeth’s side when they walked up. Scott crouched done to greet her.

“Hello there. What’s your name?”

From behind Elizabeth’s sleeve, she answered, “Victoria.”

“Hi, Victoria. I’m Scott.”

While Scott was introducing himself Isaac was watching Elizabeth. Her eyes were shifting from Victoria to Scott, to the rest of the room. He noticed she clutched onto Victoria as tight as her sister clung to her.

“And I’m Isaac.”

“Victoria.” Elizabeth looked at her. “These are the boys who are helping us.” 

At that Victoria flashed a magnificent smile at them. Elizabeth also looked at them but couldn’t quite manage a smile. She actually didn’t know them well and was risking a lot just being there. 

“Isaac, we’re supposed to be at home making supper. If we don’t get back-“ she looked at Victoria and Isaac took over.

“Actually we were going to take you out for dinner. Where would you like to go, Victoria?” Isaac didn’t even give Elizabeth an opinion on the matter and Victoria jumped on the suggestion.

“Pizza!” Isaac and Scott smiled at her enthusiasm.

“Pizza sounds great.”

“Um, I don’t know,” Elizabeth said hesitantly.

“Oh, it’s our treat.”

“What about Scott’s mom?”

“She’d love pizza, and she wouldn’t be eating anytime soon anyway.” They all saw the chaos happening around them. Scott had already asked and borrowed the keys to his mom’s car. They all hopped in, boys in the front and girls in the back. Driving to the pizza place Isaac listened to the thundering of Elizabeth’s heartbeat and the cabin was filled with the smell of anxiety.

When they got out Isaac needed to talk to her about it. 

“Why don’t you two go on in and choose our pizza, Elizabeth and I have to discuss English homework.”

“Sure thing. Come on Victoria.” Victoria looked at Elizabeth to check if it was alright. Elizabeth gave her the go-ahead but watched as they went in.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” Elizabeth replied looking all around them.

“Alright look me in the eye and tell me so.”

She didn’t. Only counted the specks of dirt on her shoes.

“Elizabeth, I know this is all happening really fast, but Scott’s a good guy. And I’ve got your back” she jerked a bit at that. “Everything is going to be just fine.”

Elizabeth didn’t believe that for a second, but then she looked in the window and saw Victoria. She was so excited to be getting pizza with them and Elizabeth didn’t much care what happened later. If Victoria had a good evening like a normal kid than that was good enough. She nodded at Isaac and went into the restaurant. 

They got their pizza and the girls practically inhaled their slices. They waited there, each holding their hands in their laps.

“You can have another piece,” Isaac said halting his own eating.

“You sure?” Victoria asked.

“Of course.” Immediately she reached for another piece and enjoyed it. Elizabeth wasn’t keen to accept the offer at first but slowly grabbed more as well. 

“So Victoria, how was your day?”

Victoria’s face lit up. Only Elizabeth ever cared about her day, so she seized the opportunity to share. She went on and on about the things she was learning about in class, the things she was looking forward to, her good friends. It was a lot but the boys noticed she never once mentioned home life. They were just about finished their pizza when the phone rang.

“Scott, these people are horrible. Like Matt crazy, Peter evil, and Kate psycho combined, awful. And the worst part, they know their rights. My dad can’t get anywhere with them. They’ve even turned on him and are screaming about him kidnaping their kids to accuse them of bad parenting.-“

From behind Stiles, Isaac and Scott heard Mr. Stilinski.

“Is that Scott?” A moment later the phone was pulled from Stiles and the sheriff took over. “Scott I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you need to bring those girls home. Without a warrant or disclosure, my hands are tied and as legal guardians, they reserve the right to their children’s whereabouts.”

Elizabeth noticed the boys faces drop and immediately knew what the news was.

Pulling up to the little house they witnessed the havoc the evening had spelt. A tall lean woman was beside herself in the doorway, with a man standing beside her. When they saw the car roll in they marched towards it. The same moment they got out of the car they were hit with the couples angry blasts.

“How dare you! How dare you do this to us!” Elizabeth was screamed at by who had to be her mother. “We were worried sick!” Her tone might have sounded concerned to someone who couldn’t see the look on Elizabeth’s face. She’d gone rigid still and stone-faced once again. Inside the car still was Victoria, who had lost all trace of joy. Their father came up on Scott.

“You take my daughters without permission! You son of a bitch! I’ll tear you apart!”

The Stilinski’s jump right back in the confrontation.

“Hold on! I understand you’re upset Mr. Tahmoor, but you can’t threaten someone like that.”

“Who are you to tell me anything? You come here, accuse me and my wife of ‘foul play’ and have your little lackeys abducted my daughters!” He yelled in full thrown rage.

“Get out of the car Victoria!” Mrs. Tahmoor yelled into the car. Elizabeth stepped between Victoria and her mother. Her mother swept down and grabbed onto Elizabeth’s wrist. Isaac and Scott were suddenly hit with the overwhelming smell of pain and Isaac was seconds away from shoving both parents into the pavement. Stiles and Scott caught the expression on his face and stood beside him to block his path.

“Inside. now.” Her mother spat out. Elizabeth guarded Victoria against their parents as they rushed to the house. Isaac was about to follow them when their father yelled at them.

“Now I think you’ve ruined our evening enough, don’t you? So take your little minions and get off my property!”

“Come on boys.” The sheriff had to lead the three teenagers to get back in their cars and drive away as the front door slammed shut. None of them suspected the evening would be good for the girls, but they never would’ve guessed how bad it was.


	3. Skeleton in the Closet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter with the most depictions of violence, so far warning.

The next morning Isaac woke up miserable, he’d tossed and turned all night. Like he used to do when he lived with his father. Elizabeth’s face was seared in his brain and every time he remembered it, it seemed worse. He’d see the bags under her eyes or the knots in her hair. Most of all he saw the bruise on her wrist. ‘I have to stay in bed’ is what she had said. If that was her routine what would a punishment be? He had to convince the sheriff to press charges, or remove custody, do something. He got up and prepared for school as quick as possible. 

He got to school about the same time as Scott and Stiles, they all had the same thought on their minds. What had happened after they left? 

“Well, last night was a disaster.” Stiles put as they started toward the entrance.

“Yeah, we just made things worse.” Scott hung his head.

Isaac had no comment, he knew they’d jumped the gun last night. He had wanted to get her out of there as soon as possible but he’d only gotten her in trouble.  
Inside the halls were buzzing with excitement. Something was happening that had everyone in a frenzy.

“Isaac. I need to find Isaac.”

“Sweetheart, calm down.”

“No! No! I need to find Isaac!” Scott and Isaac heard the conversation through the crowd and started pushing their way to the middle. There was Victoria, tears streaming down her face in hysteria. Teachers stood around her trying to understand what an elementary student was doing in the high school hallway crying. She wouldn’t talk to anyone except for the phrase ‘I need to find Isaac’. 

“Victoria?” Isaac was confused and worried. Why was she here, crying for him?

“Isaac!” She jumped into him and continued to cry. “Shedidn’twakeup. Shedidn’twakeup.” Victoria spoke so incoherently that her words became one.

“Woah, hold on. Calm down.” He shushed her until her breathing became evener.

“Now, what happened?”

“It’s Elizabeth, she didn’t wake up. Her sheets were red and she didn’t look like she was breathing.” She sobbed. 

The whole crowd went still and Isaac’s heart sped up.

“Victoria you stay with Scott okay.” He tried to keep the urgency out of his voice but failed. “Stiles call 911 and get an ambulance and the police to Victoria’s house.” He was already halfway to the door as he gave the instructions.

“Where are you going, Lahey?” He heard coach yell after him.

“To Elizabeth!” 

When he got to the house the first responders where already at work. Sheriff Stilinski saw Isaac coming and intercepted him.

“Where is she?” Isaac asked about ready to plough over everything in sight.

“Isaac, you need to be at school.” The sheriff kept his tone even but firm. Isaac wasn’t having it, he knew Mr. Stilinski.

“Do you see now?” He rounded on him.

“Yes, we do. Isaac, you should go.” 

“No. I’m going with her. Victoria came to me, which means it’s my responsibility, you get it? Mine.” 

He didn’t care what they said anymore, he’d already let Elizabeth down once. He followed his nose to the ambulance. The scene in the ambulance was one out of a horror film. Elizabeth was a tattered mess covered in both dried and fresh blood. Her right arm was bent at a weird angle and her fingers were blue as wild berries. Her face was slashed from ear to the middle of her forehead. Around her neck where finger-shaped bruises and the same ones could be seen on the shoulders and upper arms. They had to lay her on her stomach because covering her entire back were horrible slash marks. They crisscrossed up and down, some even wrapping around the sides. Isaac stared in shock at the mutilated body. The paramedics hard at work keeping her frail pulse alive. He was about to jump into the vehicle when an officers hand blocked him.

“Family only.”

“Family is what did that to her.” Isaac snapped. He attuned his ears to her heartbeat. Blood slowly in and weakly out. They were blocking the open wounds best they could, but it was obvious Elizabeth had lost a ton of blood. He didn’t want to argue, he just wanted her to live.

“Get her to the hospital.” he almost begged.

It couldn’t be said if it was because he’d asked but they shut the doors and sped off to the hospital. He was so focused on Elizabeth that even as she was becoming farther and farther away he could still smell the iron controlled blood she was losing. The police were filling out reports, ones that had to explain that not even twenty-four hours prior they had tried to put an end to that residence violence, only to be the catalyst that ignited it.

Isaac crept into the house. In the kitchen, there were streaks on the counter and floor. He was lead by his nose to her bedroom, there her bed was soaked with the red liquid life that had been stolen from Elizabeth. Attached to the metal frame where the cut cuffs that trapped Elizabeth. The room resembled a torture chamber, cold and dark. Besides the ruined sheets the bed was bare, not even a pillow for her bashed in skull. There was a desk with wood torn to shreds. On the side wall was a door and when Isaac entered it he saw a nest made of odds and ends. The blankets and clothes smelled of Victoria and her tears.

He could imagine the scene. Once they left and the door slammed shut. Victoria had come here, hiding. While on the other side of the dark closet door Elizabeth was beaten to the bone and it was all his fault.

“Isaac.” Isaac turned to see the sheriff, his face downcast. He didn’t need to be told, any longer in the place and the wolf inside him would rip through to destroy something. He joined the sheriff on the walk out. On the way, they caught sight of a dog leash covered in blood, the weapon. Once outside Stilinski called over one of his officers.

“Take Isaac and pick up Victoria Tahmoor. Take them to the hospital as witnesses for Elizabeth.” His officer nodded and they went their separate ways. Riding back to the school Isaac couldn’t get the images of that place out of his irises.

Out of the window, he eventually saw Scott standing with Victoria and the principal. The officer explained further to their principal what had happened. Victoria immediately ran to Isaac from Scott. She had stopped crying with a lot of soothing from Scott and the teachers, but she never quit asking for Isaac and Elizabeth. Though Isaac has upset himself he put on a mask for Victoria, she needed at least that much.

“Hey Victoria.” He knelt to look into her eyes.

“Is-is she, alive?” Victoria’s voice was breaking like glass splitting under the weight of all her pain.

“I heard her heartbeat myself. But it’s all thanks to you, if you hadn’t come to us she wouldn’t be.” Victoria took a deep breath at the news and buried her face into his shoulder again. He couldn’t muster the strength to remove her so as gingerly as possible he lifted her in his arms and they returned to the police car.

They drove together, Victoria snuggled into Isaac’s side, eyes and mouth closed. He kept his hand on her shoulder and wished he could ease her worry. Without thinking too much about it he started drawing away some of her pain. It was a mild ache but her muscles seemed to relax and her breathing became even. She almost seemed to sleep on the trip to the hospital, and Isaac was reminded of the nest of clothes in the closet.

They both were brought outside the room where Elizabeth lay. She’d been attached to life support and blood transfusion. Her wounds cleaned and bandaged and her arm reset. Yet despite all of that care she still looked removed of life. Her chest barely rose when she breathed so she resembled a corpse with a heartbeat. Isaac clutched onto Victoria as she saw her sister and they sat down across the hall. Another police officer and medical staff came up. 

“Are you Victoria Tahmoor?” The lady who worked there asked. Victoria nodded.

“Your sister is badly hurt. We’ve already done what we can to help her, but if decisions have to be made on her condition we need someone to speak on her behalf.” The lady spoke sweetly and slow for Victoria. “Do you know who that could be?” She asked.

“She said if anything happened to find Isaac” was Victoria’s reply.

“Isaac Lahey?” The lady asked again.

“Yes.” She turned from asking Victoria questions to Isaac.

“That’s you I presume.”

“Yeah.”

“May I ask why Elizabeth would allegedly ask for you?” As she asked, Isaac looked back at Elizabeth’s body. Even though it was his fault she was there, she had asked Victoria to find him.

“I saw her when no one else did. I took a step and didn’t abandon them.” Victoria took his hand when he said that and nodded her head in agreement.

“Alright. So, Victoria I need you to come with me now. We just need to ask you a few more questions.” Victoria only moved closer to Isaac. The lady looked at Isaac, pondering.

Isaac knelt down to Victoria. “What is it Victoria?” He asked and she glanced at his face.

“Elizabeth said to find you. Not them.” She was hesitant of the adults, untrusting.

“Yeah. But right now she can’t be right here to talk to us. What do you think she’d want us to do?” 

“She said, that the world is full of monsters. I can’t let them into my heart or they can infect me. She said to always keep smiling, and work hard, and stay positive. The monsters can make you sad and angry, but just because they hurt doesn’t mean we have to let them. She’d want me to listen to good counsel and be safe.” Victoria recited a lively speech she’d been taught and Isaac couldn’t help but smile.

“That seems very wise. So let’s follow that advice. These people are going to take good care of you. They just want to know more about Elizabeth and you. But if you need me all you have to do is shout and I’ll come, okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded her head again and gave him another hug. She went with the lady and the policemen and as they left Isaac found it difficult to believe that he’d only met Victoria yesterday. They had a connection he’d never felt before like that day had been stretched for a lifetime. With that in mind, he was therefore connected to Elizabeth by a cord deeper than centuries.

He entered her room and watched the shallow rise and sink of her chest. He checked the report on the side of her bed:  
Multiple lacerations spinal region  
Dislocated right shoulder. Awaiting X-Ray results.  
Three broken ribs. Punctured lung.  
Both ankles broken  
3-inch gash on the forehead.  
Broken nose.   
Swollen vocal glands, bruising.  
Fractured wrist.  
Bruising on hip   
Internal bleeding. Intensive watch.

The list was extensive, some chicken scratch of despair. It seemed like no part of Elizabeth went unharmed. The damage both inside and out covered every inch. Isaac set his hand on the crook of her elbow. He seeped the pain into his veins. It stabbed into his nerves and he convulsed, ripping away a moment later. He might not have much experience with the process but that was more intense than being stabbed in real life. He tried again and again, pulling as much pain from Elizabeth as he could handle. It got to the point where his fingers felt like they’d been frozen within lava. Doctors and nurses came in to check her, but Isaac stayed by her side. He sat on the chair by her bed and when the pain he took subsided he’d take more.

He had lost track of time until he spied Scott and Stiles out of the corner of his eye. They walked in with frowns on their faces. 

“Oh god.” Stiles couldn’t control his discomfort of blood, flinching back at the sight of Elizabeth.

“What happened?” Scott asked naively.

“What do you think Scott? We made them think she was trying to escape them and they lashed back at her.” His voice seemed far away. All he cared about was relieving her pain, fixing what he broke.

“Isaac!” Scott hissed at him. He looked up to see their worried faces. It was different than before, no longer empathy.

“What?”

“Your eyes.” They hissed at him again snapping him back to himself. The pain he was gathering from Elizabeth was triggering his wolf. He pulled his hand away and retracted the burn from his irises. 

“How long have you been doing that?” Scott asked as Isaac stepped back.

“I don’t know.”

Behind them, Mr. Stilinski came in with Victoria beside him.

“Oh good, you boys are here. Could you stay with Victoria, I have to take Isaac’s statement.” Victoria approached Elizabeth’s side, ignoring everyone but her sister and Isaac.

“I love you. Elizabeth I love you. I love you.” She kept saying it over and over her head falling to rest on the sheets. She promptly fell asleep, too exhausted to stay awake another moment. Before he left Isaac scooped her up in his arms and placed her in the chair he’d set beside the bed.

Exiting the room with the sheriff Isaac hung his shoulders. He aches all over, from his muscles to his heart. He’d trained, and fought, and been beaten, but none of it compared to the weight of knowing someone else’s pain. His own he could handle, Elizabeth’s was crushing him like a soda can.

“So, Isaac for the record. Elizabeth disclosed to you that her parents were abusing her.”

“Yes.” 

“And you had Stiles contact me to investigate, which I did but without solid proof.” Either of them added more to it than that. They were there they knew that part of the story.

“How are you doing Isaac?” His tone was full of incite. He’d seen a lot in his day, more horrible things than he’d care to imagine. The sheriff often felt he couldn’t do enough for the people he tried to protect, including his son and his friends. Stilinski remembered the first time he’d had to interview Isaac, at the graveyard where he worked. That kid bore little resemblance to the one standing before him today. Isaac had then been timid and battered, making up lies to hide his ugly truth. To think he had to suspect Isaac of murdering his father, even if it might have had motive it was still wrong. The sheriff saw in Isaac’s eyes something he hadn’t seen since the first day he’d met him; in them, there was an empty hole. This hole was carved out by the pain of a mental struggle to survive. Now Isaac was facing that struggle again, only this time without his own strength. 

“Fine, I guess.” His tone reflected someone who hadn’t slept in days, was cold to the bone and was about to collapse in on themselves.

“Look, Isaac. I don’t want to have to do this, but I need your help. We need to get Victoria into the foster care system.” Isaac widened his eyes at the sheriff. “I know we didn’t have to do that with you, but you’re almost to maturity and you have that whole werewolf thing. Victoria’s so young that we have no other choice.”

“What about Elizabeth? Victoria needs her now. You can’t take her away. And when Elizabeth wakes up she’s going to need her sister. Put her in the system now and they’ll be separated.”

A dark cloud shadowed the sheriff as Isaac was talking. His heart was heavy with the news he had to give. What made it even harder was the fact that Isaac cared so much. All afternoon he’d watched him sit by her side and now there was no other choice.

“There’s no point waiting, they’ll be separated anyway. The doctors say it’s a miracle she’s still alive at all. Without life support, she won’t survive. I’m sorry Isaac.” 

Isaac was washed with scalding water. His insides were burning, and he couldn’t decide if he wanted to cry, scream or punch something.

“What?!” His body did a little bit of each option. He screamed in a sob, his body falling back into the wall. He was about ready to tear into the bastards throats. Not only had they abused her, but they’d beat her within an inch of her life. He fished in his pocket for his phone having to retract his claws before doing so. His fear and rage blinding him. He didn’t recall thinking about what he was doing until Derek was picking up the phone.

“Isaac? Where are you?” Derek didn’t normally care, but since Erica and Boyd took a hike he took a bit more notice.

“At the hospital. You need to get here. NOW.” He didn’t mean for his growl to come out, he used every thread of self-control he had, but it still slipped out.

Derek didn’t reply, the phone just went flat. 

Scott appeared from around the corner having heard Isaac’s wolf. What he saw was just as troubling. Isaac was half transformed, claws and eyes clearly visible. Isaac’s breathing was laboured and he was swaying. 

Isaac knew from the way the world was shifting under his feet that he wasn’t alright. His body had no attachments, it only hummed with the choking emotions. He thought it nearly felt like when he went into shock, nothing fueling him but the burning fire in his neck, fingertips and eyebrows. 

“Isaac! Isaac control it!” Scott shouted at him. He couldn’t though. It wasn’t like during the full moon when his wolf was fighting to take over and he had to stay human. It was as if his human wanted to be a wolf and he didn’t know how to stop it. 

He put his head down and searched for a hiding place. He spotted a bathroom and ran into it, Scott close behind him. They didn’t close the door, Isaac was already losing it without the reminder of his own demons. Although that was probably the root of it all. He saw a part of himself in Elizabeth, but he didn’t protect her like he’d wanted to. He’d also never wanted to protect someone before. It stripped you down to a level so unlike one's own.

Isaac just leaned with his forehead on the wall. Clenching his fists and squeezing his eyes tight, Isaac focused on settling his heartbeat. Slowing the racing thrum to a thudding base. He held his breath and counted out how long it would take before he took oxygen in again.

Eventually, the process calmed him down, but he kept the images from the day locked in his mind.

“Isaac, you okay?” Scott asked now that he could see the more human side of Isaac back.

“Yeah, yeah I’m alright.” Isaac shook off the dizziness and let Scott lead him out of the bathroom. “Elizabeth” his thoughts were dancing around in a hurricane pattern.

They headed back to Elizabeth’s hospital room. Victoria still lay sleeping in the chair and her big sister stayed as pale and sickly as before. Scott and Isaac then heard the rev of a Camaro and recognized Derek pulling up to the hospital. Isaac anxiously waited for him to arrive.

Derek hated the hospital as much as any werewolf, but he was far more trained than the others. He picked up on his beta’s apprehensive feelings and followed them all the way to Isaac himself. He’d come disturbed himself, he’d never heard Isaac sound like that before. Over the phone, he had sounded like he was strapped to railroad tracks with a train rounding the bend. 

He saw a girl lying on the hospital bed Isaac was watching and placed the pieces together.

“Who is she?” Derek asked.

Isaac didn’t answer right away, instead, he beckoned over to the side. Once they were as far from earshot as they could casually go Isaac put everything on the table.

“That’s Elizabeth. And Derek you need to give her the bite.” Derek’s eyes widened. After two of his pack left he’d resolved to make peace with Scott and not turn more. Now here Isaac was plainly asking him to bite a stranger.

“Why? What’s gotten into you?” Derek’s eyebrows knitted together and he crosses his arms over his chest. Isaac looked back at the heart monitor beside Elizabeth, beeping like a piercing metronome. 

“I know, I know. But Derek, she’s dying and-and she’s like me. You took me in, just take her too.” Isaac was becoming hysterical, obviously overcome by irrational feelings.

“I turned you into a werewolf by your own consent. You know how Scott feels about this too, he didn’t get the choice. How do you think your friend's going to feel? Plus, may I remind you that the full moon is tomorrow night.”

Derek was trying to dig through the delirium Isaac had sunk into. Isaac, however, proved he stood where he chose.

“Derek it’s not going to matter. The sheriff told me she won't-She could be gone at any moment. Life as a werewolf is better than no life at all.”

“And the full moon?” 

“We’ll deal with it.” Derek sighed, Isaac was determined to save Elizabeth’s life, at any cost.

“If I do this, you need to remember that there is a chance it could kill her. In such a weak state that chance is even more likely. If she could recover on her own…” Isaac heard Derek, but he already knew the risks. He was willing to take them. He didn’t want to lose her, but taking action to save her was better than letting her fade away.

“Just try Derek. Please.” Isaac had this look in his eyes, one that said ‘when she dies so do I’.

Derek left Isaac and stalked toward the hospital bed. Scott stepped in front of him.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“What choice do we have Scott?”

In all honesty, Derek liked the idea. If it worked he not only had another pack member but also supported the one he still had. If it failed then it was a death forthcoming. Either way, if it made Isaac feel better about Derek than that’s all he cared about. Peter kept rubbing it in his face that he was a weak alpha, with a weak pack. 

Getting close Derek came to the same conclusion Isaac had; she was hurt everywhere. Quickly as a bullet, Derek took the plunge. He pulled back her hospital gown, bared his fangs and felt his werewolf shine through. He sank his fangs into the flesh of her stomach. What little blood she had left seeped from the new wound. Derek retracted his teeth and stood up, Isaac watching him intently. Even though he told himself he didn’t care, Derek wanted it to work. He saw how attached Isaac seemed to be and if nothing else, he knew that a grieving heart was vulnerable. They replaced the sheets over her body and Isaac took her hand.

The vanes in his arm grew black as he took her pain. Derek left the room and was met by Scott and Stiles.

“So how long before we know it worked?” 

“Depends. Could take anywhere from two to twenty-four hours. Although I’ve never seen or heard of someone being bitten in this bad of a state.” He didn’t say anymore, but the implication was that Elizabeth wouldn’t survive the bite. They all looked at Isaac who continued to remove Elizabeth’s pain. It was strange seeing him so affected. His body sunk lower when he was around her, like a ship letting in water on a roaring ocean.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
